Six promoted within Springfield Police Department

Six veteran officers are moving up the ranks of the Springfield Police Department.

At a ceremony in the city council chamber Friday afternoon, Police Kenny Winslow announced the promotion of two sergeants to lieutenant and three officers and one detective to sergeant.

Becoming lieutenants are 26-year veteran Brian Cummins and 19-year veteran Christopher Steil. Cummins became a sergeant in 2000, and Steil became a sergeant in 2006.

Moving up to the rank of sergeant are David Baxter, a 24-year veteran; Ronald Williams Jr., a 13-year veteran; Brian Hayes, a 21-year veteran; and J.T. Wooldridge, an 18-year veteran who became a detective in 2001.

“Each of them strived for this,” Winslow said, adding that they went through a rigorous testing and interview process.

Winslow said the promotions lay the groundwork for filling vacancies and restructuring the department’s senior command staff, something the chief has been working on since the city council approved his appointment earlier this year.